Zdenek Stybar to return to racing in Brussels Saturday

Zdenek Stybar looks to get back to the good side of racing this weekend. His last time out he went down hard at the Eneco Tour, breaking teeth and gashing his lips. Photo: Tim De Waele | TDWsport.com.

Zdenek Stybar will make his return to racing, three weeks after a heavy crash in mid-August, when he takes the line at Saturday’s Brussels Cycling Classic.

Omega Pharma-Quick Step announced his return in a press release Wednesday. The current UCI world cyclocross champion and rising star of the road went down hard during the finish of an Eneco Tour stage, sustaining broken teeth and gashed lips.

“Fortunately I’m recovering quickly,” Stybar said in a release. “I have some minor problems that don’t affect my training schedule, even if sometimes I feel a bit of pain. I started training last week without intensity, just to go for few rides in the Ardennes. I was there to build up a little condition and to try and get a feel for my body after an injury and time off the bike. I’m happy to report that I got the answer I was hoping for. So, the goal is to compete on Saturday. I’m super excited to think about racing again. After a crash like that I want to see how I can react, but it’s more important to take it day-by-day and I’m simply happy to return to competition this weekend.”

The Brussels Cycling Classic includes 19 “hellingen,” or short climbs, such as the Vossemberg and the Langestraat. It’s largely been won by sprinters.